LAHORE, Pakistan (Diya TV) — Lieutenant Colonel Imran Dayal of the Pakistan Army was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Dera Ismail Khan, in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, triggering widespread attention across the region and on social media.
Pakistani media say the attack took place when armed assailants opened fire on Dayal and fled the scene immediately after the shooting. Local authorities have confirmed that a fatal attack occurred, but have not released details regarding the identity of the attackers or the motive behind the killing. No group has claimed responsibility so far, and investigations remain ongoing.
The incident has drawn particular attention because unverified claims on social media have identified Lt. Col. Dayal as a “handler” allegedly linked to the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Several posts have suggested that he played a role in coordinating or facilitating militant activity connected to that attack. However, there has been no official confirmation from Pakistani authorities or the Pakistan Army regarding any such involvement.
Officials have not issued any statement addressing the online allegations, and there is currently no publicly available evidence linking Dayal to the Pahalgam incident. Security and law enforcement agencies in Dera Ismail Khan have launched an investigation into the shooting, and authorities say efforts are underway to identify the gunmen and determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The killing of a serving senior military officer has intensified public discussion across social platforms, with speculation ranging from militant retaliation to internal security-related disputes. Analysts caution that such interpretations remain speculative in the absence of official findings.
